Materials you'll need:

Carpet remnant
Hessian patch
Glue
Steel wool
Carpet tape.

Tools you'll need:

Sharp scissors.

Sadly, the newer and fresher your carpet, the more it seems to be a target for stains and cigarette mishaps. Burns are perhaps the most unsightly of all accidents but there are some first aid measures you can take to at least improve the look of the damaged area.

1. If the burn is a small one, scrape away all the charred material. Then trim some of the nap from another section, say under a chair or couch where it won't be noticed. Roll the threads into a wad, line the hole with glue and flatten the wad into the hole. If you are very patient you can glue the fibres a few at a time, arranging them to match adjacent fibbers.

2. Another form of camouflage, especially for longer pile carpets, is to tease the area with a piece of steel wool (the kind without soap in it). Work in a circular direction, as it you were brushing the carpet.

3. For really obvious burns, sometimes the only solution is to patch the carpet. This will be easier if you keep some of the off cuts when new carpet is being laid. If you have no scraps handy try to obtain a piece from the shop where you bought the carpet. Cut a square around the damaged area with sharp scissors or cutter. Use the damaged piece as a pattern to cut a replacement.

Make sure the pile runs the same way on both pieces If you can lift the carpet to get at it from the back, cut a square of Hessian about 3cm larger all round than the hole. Apply adhesive to the edges and fix patch in place over the hole. Spread adhesive on the edges and back of the patch and press it into place. If the carpet is fixed down, ease strips of double-sided carpet tape under the hole so it grips both floor and the carpet surrounding the hole. Then drop the patch in so the tape holds it in place.